Brunner Named AVCA and MPSF Player of the Week

Feb 04, 2008

Feb. 4, 2008

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -
UC Santa Barbara men's volleyball player Theo Brunner (Ridgefield, Conn.) has been named the Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week it was announced Monday. In addition, the senior middle blocker was tabbed the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF)/Molten Player of the Week.

Brunner, a 2007 AVCA All-American, helped lead the Gauchos to a pair of MPSF wins over 13th-ranked Hawai'i this past week, giving the season series to UCSB for the second consecutive year.

Over the two matches, the six-foot-seven Brunner hit .459 (46-7-85) and averaged over five kills, one block, and almost six points per game. He played in all nine games during the series.

On Feb. 1, Brunner put away a match high 21 kills and totaled a match best 24 points as UCSB took a grueling five-game match over the Warriors. He hit .462 (21-3-39) with six digs and five blocks.

The following night, Brunner continued his hard-hitting ways with a team high 25 kills, hitting .457 (25-4-46). He also added four blocks and 27 points as the Gauchos won 3-1 in a match that saw all four games go to extra points.

UCSB, which has won its last three matches, plays at No. 9 Stanford Feb. 8 (7 p.m.) and at Pacific Feb. 9 (3 p.m.). With the pair of wins over Hawai'i, the Gauchos returned to the AVCA poll this week at No. 13.